Bethlehem gets your goat!

It was a pretty unusual sight yesterday on Rt 9W in Glenmont near the intersection of Wemple Rd. Two goats and two cows were running along side the busy highway being “herded” by the Animal Control officer! What a great job he did of keeping the animals out of traffic while returning them to the barn. Who knows how long it took to round them up or if there were others in the tall grasses that border the road.

Having lived here for many years, I’m used to seeing all kinds of wildlife, but these farm animals were startling, seen mid-day happily cavorting just inches away from cars & trucks. Can’t help but wonder what other interesting situations Bethlehem’s Animal Control vehicle finds itself in.

Marty DeLaney

2 Responses

Marty, I have noticed that there are not many comments regarding your blogs. The current blog may not be very interesting, but I admit that the sight of a slightly overweight ACO trying to chase down goats on Bethlehem roads is a bit entertaining to watch. Perhaps I can spice up this blog for you, if you’ll permit. My thought is the phenomenon that also occurred on Route 9W the other evening.

As you might know, there was an Irish music concert at Alive at Five in Albany last Thursday. Not coincidentally, the Bethlehem Police blocked the southbound lanes of Rt 9W to catch those who might have had 1 or 2 over the legal limit (BAC .08). This was a superb example of inter-municipal cooperation (Albany serves alcohol and Bethlehem writes the DWI tickets). A total of 32 DWI arrests resulted countywide and I think they had a run on tow trucks. I know this is not the kind of local news you might like to talk about, but I think it is important.

Is it appropriate for a local government (City of Albany in this case) to sponsor the sale of beer and wine? If 32 were caught, how many more were missed by the patrols? Who is responsible if a tragedy occurs? Does Albany’s only cultural claim to fame revolve around the sale of alcoholic beverages (note that downtown is void of anything but bars and “nightclubs”). Does this have anything to do with the fact that Albany has been governed by mayors of Irish descent for as long as anyone can remember? (just kidding!).

There are those who would argue that everyone has a choice, but the reality is that it doesn’t take much to blow a .08 and human nature is full of weakness. Then there is the problem of alcoholism, a serious and under-recognized disease that is difficult to admit to, much less to cure. Yes, those who have a drinking problem might go elsewhere to get it, but is that an excuse for local government to contribute to the problem? I can’t bring myself to believe that this could simply be another revenue producing tool? The potential consequences are far too tragic. Where does MADD and SADD stand on the issue of the sale of alcohol at city sponsored events? Why are they silent on this issue?

My wife happened to encounter one of the checkpoints, on Rt 5 (Central Ave) EASTBOUND near the Schenectady line. Yes, EASTBOUND so Alive At 5 wasn’t the full target. Anyway, she went through the field sobriety tests and passed with flying colors. The downside? Snotty cops whose attitudes deteriorated even further when she passed. They can kiss this year’s donation to the PBA goodbye.

Note: The Times Union is not responsible for posts and comments written by non-staff members.